The Girl from the French Villa
by Catie Kerwood
Summary: Daria has never gone off planet before. And the first time she did, it was on the ill-fated Hunter-Gratzner, after the crash she finds out that not eveything is what it seems.
1. Prologue

I know lately I haven't been updating my older stories (Fey, Moon, Dark Savior, even Secrets and Blood Lines) and the fact of the matter is, is that I'm stuck on those. I look at them and I can't come up with anything. But I am working on the third chapter of Secrets; you get a glimpse of what exactly Meredith is. It's never said outright until later, but it is hinted at. Anyways I've gone off my train of thought. I will try to update Fey and Moon and all those, I really will, but until then I will continue to come up with new stories, I just can't help it. I'm smiling by now I hope you know that.

Well anyways here is one of the new ones that I mentioned.

Prologue

Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived on a planet at the edge of the known universe. Life was simple, and she was very happy. She loved her parents very much, her brothers and sisters also. She was the youngest of her family, and by the time she turned thirteen all her siblings were married and had children of their own.

But even through all her happiness, she always felt that she was missing something. She's had this feeling since she was able to form a coherent thought and figure out what exactly she was feeling. She was often found alone in her favorite room of the small French villa that she grew up in, her favorite room being the small room under the stairs; it was so quiet there no matter what was happening. When she was found she was often deep in thought, trying to figure out what exactly she was missing.

When she turned eighteen, she wanted to go away for college but her parents convinced her to go to one close by, they wanted her close so nothing bad would happen to her. She moved into the room above the garage and filled it with books, ranging from science fiction to historical fiction and everything between. She graduated from college a few years later as valedictorian and with a degree in criminal psychology.

One day she was sitting in her small room, reading when her mother came in unannounced as always.

"Oh Daria you read too much." She said and Daria looked up from her book.

"Its because I read too much that I got such excellent marks in school." She said and marked her page, setting the book down.

"That is true." Her mother said smiling. "I have a surprise for you, a gift in fact."

"And the occasion?"

"Do I need an occasion to dote upon my daughter?"

"What did you get me?" Daria asked and her mother held out a piece of paper, she took it from her and looked at it. "One way trip to the Tangier System on the merchant vessel Hunter-Gratzner. Why one way?"

"Its due time that I cut the umbilical cord. I've been keeping you from your life. It leaves tomorrow, so I suggest that you pack now." She said and Daria stood, hugging her.

"Thank you so much mama. I'm guessing papa wasn't all that happy with this?" she asked pulling away.

"He still thinks of you as his little girl, playing in the grass outside and making a wreath out of daisies. He wasn't happy, but he decided that you find a life of your own." Her mother said and Daria hugged her again.

"Thank you so much, thank you." She said and her mother pulled away.

"Well I'd better let you pack, even though how you are going to pack all of these books of yours are beyond me."

"I'll find a way, I always do." Daria said and her mother left with one last smile. When she was gone, Daria looked about at the stacks and sighed, running a hand through her short brown hair. "How am I going to pack all these books?"

The next day Daria was walking through New French Quarter space station towards the gate for the Hunter Gratzner. Her bags and many trunks had been checked and were being strapped down as she walked. She had said goodbye to her parents and her brothers and sisters, brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws, and all her nieces and nephews. Saying goodbye to all of them almost made her late. She went to the gate and handed the ticket to the attendant. She went onboard and was greeted by Captain Tom Mitchell; the co-pilot Greg Owens and the docking pilot Carolyn Fry. She was very nervous as one of the crew members showed her where her cryo-tube was.

"I've never been cryo-sleep before, I'm a little scared." She said nervously and he smiled.

"Its nothing to be afraid of. You just go to sleep and when you wake up, we'll be on Tangier 1." He said and she nodded.

"Should I get in it now or...?"

"There will be an announcement. You've never been off planet have you?"

"No, I've lived here all my life."

"Well welcome aboard the Hunter-Gratzner, I hope you have a pleasant first trip ever."

"Yes so do I, I just hope my nerves calm down."

"Hey, you'll be fine. Listen um...we'll be docked on Tangier 1 for a couple weeks, I was wondering if you'd like to join me for something to eat after we get off the ship. I've been there a couple times, I could show you around." He asked looking hopeful and she smiled.

"I'd like that very much. Thank you." Daria said and he smiled again.

"Well okay, see you when you wake up." He said and walked away. Daria continued to smile and stood there by her tube until the announcement came for the passengers to get into theirs. She noted how they got in and got in the same away, the cute crew member came over to close and seal her tube. "Pleasant dreams..."

"Daria, my name is Daria."

"Mine's David. Pleasant dreams Daria."

"Same to you David." She already knew that the entire crew went into cryo. "See you when you wake up."

"Yup." He said and closed her tube, sealing it. He pressed the button that opened vents to allow in the cryo-gasses. They kept eye contact, smiles on both their faces, until her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Daria woke up to see wreckage; half her tube door ripped off. Sunlight streaming in through the open back-half off the ship. Something had gone wrong.


	2. I

This part is going to be exceptionally short, but don't worry they won't all be like this.

Chapter 1

Johns looked around for his fallen gun, seeing it in between two crates. He was about to pick it up when legs came down, wrapping a chain around his neck. He removed his baton and started to beat at the person but the chain wouldn't let up.

Riddick's body absorbed the blows with minimum pain; he could feel the wires he was holding onto start to give so he twisted his feet suddenly. There was a crack and Johns hung, his neck broken. Riddick took the chain from around the bodies neck and jumped down, landing on his feet. He looked removed his blindfold and looked down at the body of the dead merc, he rooted through his pockets finding a set of keys and undid the bit, throwing it aside. He unlocked the restraints on his hand and feet and kicked those asides. He dug in his pocket and took out his goggles, fixing them over his eyes.

The next order of business was to assume John's identity. Johns had carted him in late, so the only person that saw Johns was the Captain, and he died before the crash had even begun. He removed the jacket and vest from the body and put them on over his black tank top. The pants would be too small, so he didn't worry about those. The jacket was a little tight in the shoulders, but all in all it fit, and it had a patch that said 'Johns' on it. He fixed the badge on the outside of the jacket.

Riddick looked down at the body of the Blue Eyed Devil before climbing up the ladder to the higher levels.


	3. II

Chapter 2

Daria could feel panic start to rise and forced her self to calm down. She was the most flexible girl in her Gym class damnit; she could get out of half a cryo-tube. She stepped out and started to slide down, she grabbed the edges of the broken half of the door and started to pull herself out. In a few twists and a lot of pulling she was out and brushing off her jean jacket and pants.

"Very impressive." She heard and turned, seeing the most gorgeous man of her life, not to sound tacky or anything. He was tall and tan, his head shaven and odd black goggles on over his eyes. The patch on his blue jacket said that his name was Johns, her eyes were drawn to a gold badge on the pocket.

"Are you a police officer?" Daria asked with her head cocked.

"Bounty hunter." He corrected with something that couldn't possibly be a voice, but captured distant thunder. "I'm Johns." He said holding out his hand, she put hers in his and his long fingers enveloped it.

"Daria Dumas. Nice to meet you." She said and watched with a caught breath as he brought the back of her hand to his lips, kissing it gently before letting go. "Are there anymore survivors of the crash?"

"I don't know, I was just going to find out when I saw you." He said keeping in the Johns character. Dead bastard was a people person, especially with the ladies. "Why don't we go find out together?"

"Probably be a good idea." She said smiling.

_Innocent kid isn't she? Probably had never been off her home planet before. She just had to pick this ship._ Riddick thought as they walked away in search of the other survivors.

There were eleven others it seemed, and they all accepted his identity as Johns.

"So Johns." Carolyn the docking pilot said. "Why exactly was a bounty hunter such as yourself on the HG?"

"I was transporting a prisoner to Ursa Luna. He died in the crash. Son of a bitch was worth a lot too." Riddick said.

"Who was your prisoner?" Shazza asked.

"Richard Riddick." He said and there was a shocked silence. He noticed the kid, Jack, looking at him suspiciously but when he met his eyes, he looked away. Among the group were a holy man, Imam, and his three boys, the prospector Shazza and her mate Zeke, miners most likely. There was an antiquities dealer named Paris, Jack who couldn't be much older than 13 and seemed to be along with Shazza and Zeke. Carolyn Fry the docking pilot, and then there was Daria, who stayed silent during the whole acquaintance period. She only offered her name and where she was from, and she had told them that she had been traveling alone, the rest of her family on New French Quarter. She seemed too young, mind wise. He knew that she wasn't mentally slow, when the group was looking for supplies he stumbled upon massive trunks with her last name on them filled with books, one of the bigger ones filled with psychology books.

And in her effects he found a degree and Ph.D. certificate for criminal psychology, she was smart enough all right, she just seemed terribly innocent. Shazza and Zeke took to her like they took to Jack they seemed to want to protect her, instinct I guess. Imam seemed to want to counsel her in dealing with tragedy, even though she didn't lose anyone in the crash, but it was a mentally taxing occurrence.

She stayed silent and off to the side, only helping when she was asked, never interfering or speaking up. Riddick has caught himself watching her, observing her is a better word. He knew how girls like her thought.

_If I stay still enough, quiet enough then maybe they'll forget that I'm here._

He's often encountered girls like this before, and he's gotten a fair few to break out of their 'scared fawn' shell and release the woman hidden within. It made him wonder, could he do the same for her? Would he want to? Answer to the latter one, hells yeah. Its been a while since he's had any kind of female attention, and when he met Daria he felt a spark of chemistry, at least he think he did. It would be kind of interesting to find out what kind of woman was hiding in that phoenix body of hers.

When they found the SandKat, he's often found her looking at it with interest and it made him wonder if she had some mechanic in her too.

"Daria!" Shazza snapped and Daria tore her eyes away from Johns to look at a very annoyed Shazza. He had taken off the jacket and sweat glistened on his massive arms. "Stop ogling Johns and hand me that wrench." Daria picked up the wrench that Shazza was pointing to and handed her it.

"That obvious huh?" she asked and Shazza looked at her as if to say 'duh'. "You got to admit, he is very attractive." Shazza looked at Johns for a little while then shrugged.

"He's okay. Me Zeke is better though." Shazza said.

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Daria asked and she shrugged again.

"Telepathy?" she suggested and Daria snorted. "So tell me about yourself."

"Not much to tell really. I grew up on New French Quarter."

"Yet you don't have a hint of French accent."

"No but you should hear my mom, I don't even understand half the stuff she says." Daria said and Shazza snorted, scooting back under the SandKat.

"You got a boyfriend or husband back there?"

"No, completely unattached. My mom wanted to protect me, and in her mind protecting me is not letting me have a life. So needless to say I've never really had a boyfriend."

"Ever?" Shazza asked.

"Ever."

"So that means you're still..."

"Yup it does." Daria said, a little embarassed.

"You ladies need any help?" they heard and both jumped, Shazza banging her head on under the SandKat and swearing.

"Damnit Johns! Do you always have to be so damn quiet?" she said coming out from under it and glared at him.

"Habit. Now answer my question." He said with a barely concealed smirk.

"No, we're fine. Almost done in fact." Shazza said standing and brushing her self off. "Thanks for asking though."

"No problem." Riddick said and was aware of someone paying very close attention to him. He looked at Daria and saw her looking at him, as if sensing eye contact she looked away and blushed, embarassed to be caught looking. "I'll be helping Carolyn out with the skiff if you need me." He said and walked away.

"Stop drooling Daria. He's not _that_ attractive." Shazza said rolling her eyes and Daria made a great show of wiping the side of her mouth with the back of her hand making Shazza laugh.


	4. III

Chapter 3

Riddick smirked as he walked away, having heard their conversation before making himself known.

_Virgin, huh? Well that makes things a lot more interesting._ He thought as he went to the skiff to see if he could help out there, which would be the Johns thing to do.

Imam was sitting on the ramp of the skiff, fingering his prayer rope. He had just got done burying Ali. Daria walked up and sat down next to him. She just sat there for a second before wrapping her arm around his robed waist and putting her head on his shoulder, looking up at him. He looked at her and saw sympathy in her eyes so he put his arm around her shoulders.

"I have a nephew back on New French Quarter that was Ali's age. His name is Alexander, his mother is my sister." Daria said and he nodded.

"Tell me about him child."

"He always gets into some kind of trouble, and he pesters his younger sister Josephine. But he's adorable, brown hair, blue eyes, grows like a weed." Daria said and Imam smiled in spite of his recent loss.

"Young boys will do that." He said.

"Imam if you ever just want to talk, I'll always listen, no matter what." Daria said and he looked at her.

"Thank you Daria. I will remember that." Imam said and she took her arm from around his waist, he took his arm from her shoulders.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts now. I truly am sorry that you lost Ali, I don't know what I'd do if I lost Alexander the same way." She said and he nodded again.

"Thank you child." He said and she stood, leaving.

Daria walked away and around a container.

"That was a nice thing you just did there, Daria." She heard and saw Johns come out from a shadow a second later.

"He needs time to grieve." Daria said and he nodded. "Johns, why do you wear those goggles?" he just walked away.

They were all sitting around a common room of sorts, sipping water from wineglasses in quiet. There were no praising, no prayers, and no blessings. It was a scared silence; they all knew what was coming. Carolyn was the first to stand.

"I ought to get that hull integrity check done." She said and set her glass down, leaving. Daria sat there in the tense silence until she set down her glass and stood, walking out. Riddick followed soon after.

He found her sitting by one of the containers, her arms resting on her knees and her head hung. He went over and sat down next to her, his head leaning back against the container.

"You're from New French Quarter right?" he asked and she brought her head up, looking at him and nodded. "Parle vous Francais?" _(Do you speak French?)_

"Oui." _(Yes)_

"Daria, comment ca va?" _(How are you Daria?)_

"Je suis tres faire peur, Johns." _(Johns, I am very scared.)_

"It's understandable." He said and she nodded.

(A/N: okay, I'm sorry if I got any of those wrong, I only took French for two years, back in 7th and 8th grade. Which is like four years ago since I'm in eleventh right now.)

Riddick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him. He started to run his fingertips along her cheek and she looked up at him. Bracing his hand at the back of her neck he moved her closer and hesitantly pressed his lips to hers.

A bolt of electricity ran through Daria's body as Johns kissed her and she found herself kissing back. He broke the kiss and stood, holding his hand down to her. She placed her hand in his and stood, he kissed her again, pressing her against the side of the container. She kissed back, her eyes closed tight.

Riddick noticed a window next to them so he lifted one side of his goggles and looked in seeing a bed.

_Well isn't that convenient?_ He thought as he put the lens back down, but all thoughts ceased when she opened her mouth to him. He swept her up in his arms and went to the door, kicking it open then close. She nuzzled her face into his neck and he groaned. He set her down on her feet and she looked up at him.

"Daria, you once asked me why I wear these goggles." He said and she nodded, starting to run her hands along his chest and arms, her eyes fixed on his chest. "This is why." She looked up at him and he whipped his goggles off and she gave out a yip jumping back, seeing his eyes glow.

"Your eyes...they're glowing." She said and he nodded, scanning the room for any of those creatures but not seeing any.

"It's called a shine job, and it allows me to see in the dark." He said and she nodded, stepping closer and putting her hand on his cheek.

"They're beautiful." She said, he cupped her face in his hands kissing her and picking her back up. He walked to the bed and knelt on it, setting her down on it. She looked up at him and he lay against her, their lips meeting again. He worked himself between her legs and she moaned into his mouth.

"Johns, Daria! Where the fuck are you two!" they heard Carolyn yell outside and he broke the kiss, taking his hands out of her black T-shirt.

"We don't have time for this. But I promise you, if we both make it off this planet alive, I will make you a woman in every sense of the word." Riddick said and she looked at him quizzically.

"How did you know that I'm a virgin?" she asked and he smirked, winking at her. "You little eavesdropper you!" she said smiling and he laughed. "Well now I have a little more incentive, because I am _not_ dying a virgin."

"Okay, we both stay alive and we both get laid, sounds like a plan."

"Yeah there's nothing like a little celebratory sex."

"Well make up sex is very fun." Riddick said and she shrugged.

"If you say so." She said.

"Believe me, it is." He said and kissed her quickly before rolling off of her and the bed, standing. She got up and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to tame it since he mussed it up. She straightened her shirt and smoothed it down. "Shall we?" he asked holding his arm out to her to take and she smiled, looping her arm in his.

"We shall." She said and he opened the door, leading them back out into the sunlight.

They found the survivors gathered by the skiff.

"Still a virgin?" Shazza asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Darla said strongly, taking her arm from Johns' and Shazza looked down, trying not to laugh.

"Okay, so we need four more power cells from the crash ship to get this thing up. The hull integrity checked out and life support is good, we just need those cells." Carolyn said.

"Well the SandKat is good to go, we can haul the cells and any supplies in that." Shazza said.

"Uh guys?" Daria said but no one paid her any attention.

"I have some things that I need to load onto it. Some antiquities and whatnot." Paris said.

"I need to gather things as well." Imam said, "And of course Daria will want to take her academic supplies with her."

"Listen." Johns said, but they kept talking about what they needed o load. "Listen!" he yelled and they stopped talking, looking at him. A faint hooting sound could be heard.

"As I tried to say but y'all ignored me. Is it getting darker or is it just me?" Daria said.

"We need to kick on, that SandKat is solar." Shazza said and they all ran for it. She started it up and they hopped on, driving away. They drove though the canyon, taking out a skeleton as they passed underneath it, causing a barrier behind them. Shazza stopped right in front of the cabin and Johns and Imam got out, going into the darkened cabin. Johns came out a short time later with two power cells on his shoulders, his muscles flexed in tension.

"Show off." Daria muttered as she took them from him and he cracked a smirk, going back in the cabin, passing Imam who was coming out with one power cell. Daria then noticed that Paris was no longer on the SandKat, she noticed him running for the cargo cabin. Light started to dwindle as Johns came out with the last needed cell. The yellow sun started to disappear behind the rings of the giant planet and they looked at the columns as they started to break apart. Swirling black swarms of creatures poured out of the columns and into the air like a malevolent twister.

"Beautiful." Johns whispered as he looked at it with awe.

"People!" Paris yelled. "Just a suggestion, but perhaps you should flee!" he yelled and they took off running for him.

"SHIT!" Shazza yelled as the SandKat failed completely and she and Johns ran for the cargo cabin.

"Come on!" Paris yelled, the swarm dived suddenly and headed straight for them. Johns and Shazza were still a long way off. They dived into a trench and stayed there as the deadly swarm passed over them. Daria waited with a caught breath and saw Shazza stand and take off running again.

"Just stay there Shazza, just stay down!" Jack yelled and moved as if he wanted to go to her but Paris grabbed him and yanked him back.

"Get back here." He said, the swarm collided with Shazza's body and she fell to her knees.

"JUST STAY DOWN!" Jack shrieked but it was too late. Shazza started to scream and the swarm ripped her in half, carrying her away, the top half still screaming. Daria closed her eyes and a single tear escaped under her lid to roll slowly down her cheek. She opened her eyes in time to see Johns get up and brush his hands off, looking around. He walked leisurely to the cabin and turned, as the columns were ripped apart further as the larger creatures starting to come out. He lifted his goggles and looked at them, he turned back around and stopped at Daria putting his fingertips to her cheek and catching her tear. It dripped off his fingertip and hit the dirt, soaking into the ground. He looked at her strangely before going into the cabin, she followed him and they closed the door.


	5. Message

Wondering why this story hasn't been updated in like forever

Wondering why this story hasn't been updated in like _forever?_

See my profile for details!


End file.
